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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — to come down
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — a measure
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. land — a country
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com